Cinderella and the Seven Emus
by greystreetx3
Summary: When the King dies, what will happen to Prince, or should I say King, Charming and Cinderella?


Happily ever after? If only that were true. You see, they didn't really live happily ever after. Here is the true account of what happened after Prince Charming married Cinderella.

Charming and Cinderella were happy for about two weeks after they wed. For, on the two-week anniversary of their wedding, Charming's father, the King, was in a terrible carriage accident. The horses were saved, but King and driver perished.

Charming was very upset after this happened. He almost refused to go to the funeral, but Cinderella managed to persuade him into going. The King's funeral was very nice — good food, good people, et cetera — but Charming was totally overwhelmed. All of a sudden, he had a wife and kingdom to take care of. He brooded sullenly for the entire meal.

Eventually, Cinderella said, "Go to bed, dear. You must be exhausted."

Looking at his wife sadly, he replied, "I'm sorry, sweetie, but there are urgent matters I must attend to tonight now that I am King."

Cinderella sighed. "There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow. You'll need your strength to cope with the next few days."

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Charming patted Cinderella's hand, then left with the Grand Duke to discuss matters pertaining to the running of the kingdom.

Gloomily, Cinderella walked to the chambers she shared with her husband. She dismissed her maids, changed into her sleeping gown, and went to sleep. Alone.

The next morning when she awoke, Charming was already awake. Cinderella rose from her bed, wrapped a dressing robe around her, and made her way to breakfast. She didn't notice at first, but Charming wasn't there either.

She sat down at a table by herself. Two of her little mouse friends, Jaq and Gus, scuttled across the floor and up the table leg once they noticed Cinderella's sad, lonely face.

"Good morning, Cinderelly!" Jaq said cheerfully.

"What's so good about it?" Cinderella grumbled.

"Well, just look out the window! It's a beautiful day!"

"Hmph," she grunted.

Gus leaped nimbly onto Cinderella's hand. He asked, "What's wrong, Cinderelly?"

She sighed and rested her head in her left hand. "I'm sorry, guys." She said apologetically. "I'm just so frustrated!"

"Oh. Try to think about something happy!" Gus said cheerily.

"Like what?" Cinderella asked bitterly.

"Like, um. . ." he stuttered. "Like a fuzzy little kitten or a wise friendly dragon!"

Cinderella couldn't help but smile at that. "You two always know how to make me feel better. But how can I forgive Charming for neglecting me?"

"Try to put yourself in his shoes. What would you do if your father was the former king and you were his only heir? How do you think you would feel?" Gus asked her.

Cinderella thought about it for a minute. "You're right; I'd probably end up neglecting my spouse as well. Thanks, guys." Cinderella rose from her seat, leaving half her breakfast uneaten and went to find Charming.

She figured he would be in the Throne Room, so she looked there first. He wasn't there though. She thought of where else she could look, but thought of nowhere reasonable. So she went back to her room and, ignoring her maids, sulked on the bed.

Eventually, she grew bored with sitting on the bed. Her problem was that she didn't know what to do or where to look for Charming.

There was a soft tap at the door.

"What is it?" Cinderella asked irritably.

One of Cinderella's maids popped her head in the doorway. "Your husband is looking for you, ma'am."

"Where is he?" she inquired.

"He is waiting in the antechamber," the maid replied.

"All right, send him in," Cinderella grumbled, sitting up in her bed.

The maid withdrew her head and the door closed softly, only to be opened again a few seconds later by Charming.

"Good morning, dear," he said as he walked in.

Cinderella regarded him coolly. "And a good day to you," she replied formally.

With a look of surprise, Charming sat next to Cinderella on the bed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied offhandedly. "What brings you here? Don't you have some "urgent matter" to attend to?"

"What's more important than you?" Charming asked sweetly.

"Whatever you were doing last night." Cinderella crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry," Charming said with a sigh. "I haven't really been giving you the attention you deserve. It's just that things have been really hectic lately."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; that's all you ever say." Cinderella rose from her bed and called for her maid.

"Yes, ma'am?" her maid, Cynthia, asked as she came inside.

"Show His Royal Highness out of my chambers and start my bath."

"Yes, ma'am," Cynthia said with a curtsy. She said to Charming, "If you would follow me, Your Highness?"

Grumbling, Charming strutted past both Cynthia and Cinderella without even a glance at either. The door slammed loudly behind him.

Cinderella sighed and sat on the edge of her bed once again. She said, "Don't ever get involved with men of royalty, Cynthia."

Cynthia, warming the water for Cinderella's bath, asked, "Why, ma'am?"

"They'll neglect to give you any attention, then when asked why, all they'll say is 'I've been busy' or 'Things have been hectic'."

:Your bath is ready, ma'am," Cynthia said.

Falling into a depressing silence, Cinderella undressed and sat down in her bath.

Three hours later, feeling clean and refreshed but still holding bitter feelings toward Charming, Cinderella went back to the dining hall for lunch.

Sitting down next to Cinderella, Charming said, "There is something we must discuss, my love."

"What is it?" Cinderella asked, "Another of your 'urgent matters'?"

With a sigh, he replied, "Yes, and it has to do with you."

"What do you mean?"

Charming sighed again. He paused for a moment to compose his thoughts. At last, he said, "There has been a great uprising, along the southern border of the city."

"Okay . . . and what does that have to do with me?"

"I want you to leave the city and go somewhere safe until I can take care of this little, ah, situation."

"Wait, slow down. Let me get this straight. You want me to leave while you stay here and risk your life for some silly revolt that may or may not cause any trouble. Am I right?"

"Yes, except for the last bit. My sources tell me that there are great numbers of men, women, and animals gathering along the border. I'm not exactly sure what they want, but one of my spies infiltrated their ranks to find out; I should be hearing from him shortly."

"Fine." Cinderella rose from her seat. "I'll go, but don't expect me to come back at your call." With that, she left the dining hall without even touching her plate. She hurried back to her chambers and left orders with her maids that she was not to be disturbed, not even by the King.

She knelt on the floor and picked out her three plainest dresses and a pair of sturdy brown shoes. Quickly, she changed her dress and tossed her fancy white heels and her sea-green gown at the bottom of her closet. Grabbing a bag from her closet, she quickly stuffed her dresses and some silver and steel into it.

She wrote a quick not to Cynthia and left it on her pillow. She stopped in her tracks when she heard Charming's voice outside: "I demand that you let me pass right now!"

Cinderella groaned; she really didn't want to see Charming. She picked up her pack and opened the door that led out to her garden. Leaving quickly, she closed the door quietly behind her. Hearing the door to her private bedchamber slam open, Cinderella hurried through the garden.

Unfortunately, Cinderella had no idea where to go. With a sigh, she decided to wander the city for a few days and then move onto a new city. After wandering around for a while day, Cinderella noticed the sun beginning to set. She walked into a three-story in called The Fish and Whistle.

The round innkeeper came bustling over to her and said, "A good evenin' to you, good lady. And how may I help you?"

"I would like a room for the night and a hot meal, please," Cinderella replied politely.

"Certainly, ma'am. Your name please?"

"My name is Cindy." She didn't want to give her full name for fear that word would get out and she would be bombarded by unwanted visitors.

The innkeeper said, "Welcome, Mistress Cindy. If you'll wait a moment, I'll fetch a servant to show you to your room." She left Cinderella standing alone.

She felt a soft tap on her shoulder a few moments later. "Follow me, please," said a slight, dark-haired girl of about fourteen.

Cinderella followed the girl, who led her to a relatively small room. There was little furniture, but there was a small fireplace. The bed was in the far corner and a wash stand next to it. The only light came from a small window near the fireplace. Stomach growling, Cinderella dropped her pack on the floor and went back to the common room. She sat down at an unoccupied table and ordered a bowl of chicken soup. As she waited for her food, she looked about her at the other people there. The inn was fairly crowded, although few of the people there would be staying in the inn; commoners tended to gather at inns to catch up on the local gossip.

She ate her food quickly, went back to her room, and went right to bed; her legs were so sore and the bed so soft it was quite easy.

The next morning, Cinderella woke with the dawn. She dressed quickly and went down for breakfast. She ordered a bowl of porridge and, while waiting for it to come, studied the people around her. There was an elderly couple in one corner, talking quietly. In another corner, a dark-haired woman sat chatting with a pale man with curly, red hair. There were few other people in the common room. Her food came, ate quickly, and then went back to her room.

Before she left to explore some more, she wrote two notes, one to Cynthia and one to Charming. She folded the note to Charming inside the one to Cynthia. As she left her room, Cinderella picked up a purse of coins and hooked it onto her belt.

She passed the innkeeper in the common room. She asked her, "Is there anything you need, Mistress Cindy?"

"Actually, yes; I have a message I would like to send to my friend in the palace. Would you be able to have someone deliver it?" Cinderella asked.

The innkeeper looked at her suspiciously for a moment, and then inquired, "Who is your friend?"

"Her name is Cynthia; she is one of the queen's maids."

"Very well; I'll have someone deliver it immediately."

"Thank you." Cinderella began to walk away. "Have a good day," she called over her shoulder.

She exited the inn, relieved that her letters would be delivered without putting herself in danger of being caught.

Cinderella again spent the day wandering the city. As the sun was beginning to set, she returned to The Fish and Whistle. She looked around the common room until she saw a familiar face sitting alone at a table near the fire.

She sat down across from Cynthia and asked, "You received my letter?"

"Yes, my Lady," Cynthia replied.

"Shh!" Cinderella said. In a quieter tone, she said; "No one here knows my true identity. I would like to keep it that way."

Cynthia apologized and said, "Your husband was not pleased when he read your note. He said he would find you and send you to your step-mother to await his return."

"When is he leaving for the border?"

"First light tomorrow morning."

"Do you think he'll be all right?"

Cynthia didn't answer.

A servant arrived with their food and they ate in silence. When they had both finished, Cinderella asked, "What did you say to get out of the castle?"

"I said I was going to see my sister," Cynthia replied.

"Are you going back to the castle tonight?"

Cynthia nodded.

"Then you had better head back now," Cinderella said with a glance at the darkening sky.

"Yes," Cynthia replied quietly. "Farewell, and stay safe."

"Safe travels," Cinderella said to Cynthia's retreating back. After Cynthia was gone, Cinderella went back up to her room.

Three days passed in basically the same way. On the fourth day, she retired to her room in the early afternoon. While lying on her bed, there came a knock at her door.

"Come in," she said offhandedly.

A servant came in and said, "A message for you."

Cinderella rose from her bed, took the letter. "Thank you," she said over her shoulder. She barely heard the servant leave. She walked back to her bed, opening the letter, and sat down. As she read it, her mouth dropped in horror. Cinderella read it a second time, thinking she misunderstood what it said:

'_Your Royal Highness, Cinderella,_

_I regret to inform you that your beloved husband, His Royal Highness King Charming, has been killed during a rebellion along the southern border of the city late yesterday afternoon._

_Your faithful maid, Cynthia_'

Cinderella dropped the letter to the floor. She made up her mind right then to leave the city quickly. As she looked around to see if she had missed any of her belongings, she noticed the letter on the floor. She tossed it into the fire and watched it burn before walking out.

As she walked through the inn, she paid the innkeeper. She said farewell and walked out of the inn. Cinderella headed east toward the exit she knew of.

Before she knew it, Cinderella was out of the city, surrounded by trees and an occasional farm. She glanced behind her and could barely make out the gate she had left from. She turned her head back around and was surprised to see a gang of emus blocking her path.

The leader, wearing black leather, stepped forward, chains rattling, and said, "Hand over all your money and you can walk past unharmed."

Cinderella sighed and said, "I don't have any money. My husband was just killed by rebels. All I'm looking for is a safe place to spend the night."

The lead emu glanced back at his fellows, then stepped closer and said, "You look like you could forget some stuff. Would you like to join my gang and travel with us safely?"

Cinderella brightened. "Really?" she asked. "Could I?"

"I don't see why not," the leader said.

"Oh, I'd love to! Thank you!"

"You're quite welcome. My name is Marty. The others are Clark, Larry, Freddie, Ringo, David, and Bartholomew." He gestured to his companions. "Welcome to our gang, ah . . . what is your name?"

"I'm Cinderella."

"You mean, the Queen?" Marty was astonished.

"The one and only."

Marty shrugged. "Well, let's head back to camp and get you some stuff that'll cheer you right up." He turned and led the way through the trees. Eventually, the group entered a clearing surrounded by trees. It was well-hidden, so a lost traveler would be unlikely to stumble upon it.

Cinderella could tell as soon as she walked in that The Gang had been living there for quite some time. Seven nests were arranged in a circle around what appeared to be a fire pit. There were three poorly hidden holes around the fire, which Cinderella presumed held food.

Marty pulled a brown cloth sack out of one hole. He tossed it to Cinderella. "Here," he said, "This'll make you feel better."

She caught the bag and peered inside it. "What is it?" she asked.

"Nepenthe," Marty replied. "It's to help you forget."

"What are you trying to forget?"

"We can speak Latin," Freddie said.

"And we don't like it," added Larry.

"Oh." Cinderella didn't know what to say.

"Well," Ringo said, glancing up at the sky. "We should probably go to sleep."

"Of course; we need an early start tomorrow if we want to get anything done," replied Marty. He turned to Cinderella and said to her, "Sleep anywhere you like; make yourself comfortable; it'll be a cold night, and I doubt you've ever had to sleep out in the cold before."

Cinderella made a make-shift bed and lay down to sleep.

In the morning, she woke to the sound of shuffling feet. She opened her eyes and saw Marty and the rest getting ready to go. She pushed herself up on one hand and stifled a yawn with the other.

"Good morning, New Kid," Marty said. "Are you hungry?"

Cinderella's stomach growled. "That says it all. I didn't have lunch or dinner yesterday, so I'm pretty hungry now."

Marty handed her some dry bread and an apple that looked as if it had gotten run over by an 18-horse carriage.

Once she had finished, she asked Marty for some more Nepenthe; last night's had worn off. Marty showed her where it was, and he told her she could just take some as she needed it.

Marty sat down in front of her, the other emus coming over to sit in a semi-circle around her, tucking their legs under their bodies. Marty said, "The first thing we're going to do today is get you some new clothes, New Kid. That dress won't do for a member in any gang."

Bartholomew said, "We could take her to our outfitter. Even though he specializes in leather clothes for emus, I'm sure he'd make something for her if we asked."

"Excellent idea, Bartholomew! That's what we'll do." He turned his head to face Cinderella. "You got any money?"

"Yes, I have some silver and steel."

"That'll be plenty. Let's go!" Everyone rose and followed Marty onto the road. They trotted to the nearest town, where all the citizens on the street hustled out of their way at their approach. They stopped in front of a building with a sign with a thick silver needle and thread on a black leather background.

Marty said, "New Kid, you come with me; everyone else wait here."

Cinderella followed Marty into the dusky store. Marty called, "Master Keeth!"

A tall man of about 30 years came hustling out of the back room at his call. "Yes, Marty? How may I help you?"

Marty gestured to Cinderella. "I'd like you to meet the newest member of my gang. She needs a new outfit; she only has a few dresses and that won't do for a gang member."

"Hmm. . ." Keeth looked Cinderella up and down and said, "I may have something that'll fit her. Wait here." He disappeared into the back room, then came back with an armful of black leather. "Put these on."

Cinderella took the clothes and put them on the floor. The first thing she tried on was a pair of leather pants that looked too tight. To her surprise, they fit quite well. Next, she put on a short sleeved black shirt and a black leather jacket. Both fit perfectly.

Marty and Keeth both examined her carefully. Marty eventually nodded. "Excellent," he said, "Do you have another set?"

"I think I might have one in the back. I'll go check." He left once again and came back with a neatly folded stack of black leather. "Here you go, kid. That'll cost ten silvers."

Cinderella dug out ten silver coins and handed them to Keeth. Then Cinderella and Marty left the store. Once they were outside, Marty said, "All right everyone, gather round. Now we'll bring the New Kid to meet our good buddy, the farmer. Got it?" At everyone's nod, he went on, "Good. We'll just head back to the camp so the New Kid can drop off her clothes. Let's move!" Marty led everyone, in formation, back to camp.

The emus waited at the entrance to the camp while Cinderella went in alone. She left her clothes on her mossy bed, then returned to The Gang. Then, Marty led them off down the road once again. Eventually, they reached a farm.

"_Agricola!_" Marty yelled.

A dark, lean man came out of a barn at the call. "Still haven't forgotten Latin, eh, buddy?" he asked wittily.

"No, not yet," he replied, smiling, "but I'm working on it! Hey, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Oh? A new member?"

"Yeah." He gestured to Cinderella. "This here is Cinderella. New Kid, this is Farmer Grey."

"Nice to meet you, Cinde—wait—you're the Queen?" Farmer Grey's mouth dropped. "Really?"

"Well, technically yes, but my husband recently died, and there's no way I would be accepted as the ruler of the kingdom. So here I am."

"So the kingdom is ruler-less right now?"

"As far as I know; I left the palace days ago, and at that point, there had been no heir chosen."

"Ah, I see." He turned back to Marty. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"I just wanted to introduce you to our newest member. Now we'll be off, back to the forest with us. I'll see you around."

Marty turned and led The Gang away. They took a different route back to camp. This was a more scenic route which followed a stream which ended in a lake. They stopped for a drink, and Clark leaned too far over the water and fell in.

Larry gasped. "Clark!" he cried. He was echoed by Ringo, David, and Bartholomew.

Clark stayed under the water for quite some time, and everyone, including Cinderella, was getting quite nervous. Eventually, he resurfaced, a purple octopus bearing him up on half his legs. Gently, the octopus laid Clark on the shore. He asked, "Will he be okay, do you think?"

Marty approached Clark's still body and said, "No. He was underwater for too long. He has now passed on to a better place: Castle Cheesecake."

There was a brief moment of silence in remembrance of Clark. Even the octopus remained quiet. Then Marty said, "Thank you for trying to save him. It was very kind of you. We shall always remember you."

"Oh, please; it wasn't a problem. All I was doing was tending my garden, and that can be done any time, light or dark, winter or summer." The octopus smiled.

"Well, thank you again. I'm sure it would be good for you to return to your garden." Marty turned back to Clark's motionless body. When he looked up again, the octopus was gone. "Bartholomew, dig a hole over there,"—he nodded toward a spot a few yards away—"New Kid, go help him. Larry, Freddie, go clean out Clark's nest. Ringo, David, you'll help me carry Clark to his burial."

Everyone followed Marty's orders. About an hour later, the emus had gathered around a fire. They shared stories, reminiscing of Clark's time with The Gang. Eventually, one by one, they went to sleep.

The next morning, everyone was quiet. There was a dark cloud shrouded over the camp. Marty gathered them together like he did every morning. He said, "Today, we'll be looking for poor souls lost in the woods. We may run into someone interesting; and if we don't, well, we'll at least have an easy day. Got it?"

They all nodded, and Marty said unenthusiastically, "Let's go."

It didn't take long. Soon after they started walking, they saw a girl in red skip up next to them. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Little Red Riding Hood. Who are you?"

Marty answered, "I'm Marty, and this is Larry, Freddie, Ringo, David, Bartholomew, and Cinderella." He gestured to each in turn.

"Cinderella?" Little Red Riding Hood peered hard at her. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me," she said.

"What happened to you? The last time I saw you, you were happily marrying Prince Charming!"

"Well, things have changed. I've fallen on some hard times, and these guys helped me through it. What are you up to today? Visiting Grandma?" Cinderella asked, changing the subject.

"Yes; I brought her some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. Would you like to try one?"

Cinderella glanced at Marty. He gave her a slight nod. Then she said to Little Red Riding Hood, "I'd love to." She took the cookie from Little Red Riding Hood's hand and tasted it. "Wow! This is really good! Can the rest of The Gang have one too?"

"Sure!" Little Red Riding Hood said and handed the cookies around. Eventually, all her cookies were gone. "Oh no!" she cried. "There's none left for Grandma!"

"Why don't you go back home and get some more?" Marty asked. "We can go visit with Grandma until you fetch them."

"Oh, would you?" Little Red Riding Hood asked. "Thank you!" She hustled off in the direction she came from.

"Why did you say that?" Cinderella asked.

"I just like lying to people," Marty said.

"So we're not visiting Little Red Riding Hood's Grandma?" Bartholomew asked.

"No, we're not," replied Marty.

"Aw, man. I'm sure she has good cookies, too." Bartholomew was looking down at his feet.

"Oh well. Let's head to the lake; those cookies were a little dry for my taste." Marty turned and led them through the woods to the lake. He leaned down to take a drink, when he tumbled head over feet into the water! Freddie went to save him, but instead ended up falling into the lake himself. Then, like a flock of lemmings, Ringo, David, and Bartholomew followed suit. Cinderella watched in horror as those she loved died in the water. Then, still affected by the Nepenthe she had taken, she jumped into the lake along with them. The last thing she saw before blacking out was what appeared to be a Holy Penguin.

Cinderella woke with a terrible headache. Painfully, she forced her eyes open. She saw all her emu buddies—Marty, Clark, Larry, Freddie, Ringo, David, and Bartholomew—standing around her with plated of cheesecake on their wings. She leaped to her feet.

"You got cheesecake? I want cheesecake!" Cinderella cried. Suddenly a plate of cheesecake appeared in her hand. "This is awesome!"

"Welcome to Castle Cheesecake, Cinderella," said a loud, accented voice from somewhere behind her. She turned around and saw Señor and Señora Cupcake.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, we're everywhere. In Farmer Grey's barn, here at Castle Cheesecake, we're even in the palace in the city." Señor Cupcake shrugged.

"Oh," Cinderella said. "Well, welcome to the party!"


End file.
